Britain's celebrated company performs Cinderella at OCPAC

THE CENTER ANNOUNCES NEW DATESAND ADDITIONAL REPERTORY FORTHE ROYAL BALLET

Britain's celebrated company performs Cinderella July 5-8 and adds Giselle for July 9 & 10 COSTA MESA, CA - The Orange County Performing Arts Center has announced that the performance dates for The Royal Ballet have changed. Originally scheduled from July 5-11, 2004, the company will both begin and end its engagement one day earlier, dancing July 5-10. And, in addition to the previously announced performances of its new production of Frederick Ashton's romantic Cinderella (July 5-8), which celebrates the centenary of the great choreographer, The Royal Ballet will also dance its production of Giselle, with performances on Friday, July 9 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, July 10 at 2 and 8 p.m. All performances are in Segerstrom Hall. Casting details will be announced closer to the engagement.Tickets for The Royal Ballet are $25, $40, $60, $85 and $100 and will go on sale May 23. They will be available at The Center Box Office, online at The Center's Web site at www.ocpac.org, by phone through Ticketmaster at (714) 740-7878 or (213) 365-3500 and at all Ticketmaster outlets. For information about special savings available to groups of 20 or more, contact Group Services at (714) 755-0236. The Center's TTY number is (714) 556-2746. Artists, dates and programs are subject to change.

The Royal Ballet concludes The Center's 2003-2004 dance season. The company last performed at The Center in 1997. This engagement presents two of the company's celebrated productions, and, with Frederick Ashton's Cinderella, pays tribute to the centennial of the birth of this great British choreographer. Cinderella, set to the music of Serge Prokofiev, is wonderfully evocative of this romantic and magical tale. Made for The Royal Ballet in 1948, Cinderella was the first full-length ballet by a British choreographer and a resounding affirmation of Ashton's choreographic abilities. The premiere of this new production by The Royal Ballet was on December 23, 2003 and also celebrated the 55th anniversary of the ballet's premiere The Royal Ballet's production of Giselle features the sensitive staging of Peter Wright and evocative designs of John F. MacFarlane. It is one of the most popular ballets in the repertory. Giselle is a gentle and vulnerable peasant girl who dies of a broken heart when she discovers that her lover has deceived her. Joining the ghostly ranks of young women betrayed in love who rise from the dead to prey on the men who destroyed them, Giselle cannot seek vengeance. Instead, she protects her remorseful lover when he visits her moonlit grave and defends him until dawn from the deathly touch of her phantom sisters.Orange County's Pacific Symphony will perform for both productions.The Center's 2003-2004 season is currently underway, with the Nederlands Dans Theater I (March 30-April 4, 2004) presenting works by Artistic Advisor and Choreographer Jir" Kylián in this, his final season leading the company, as well a piece by choreographer Johan Inger. In June (11 & 12 of 2004), Ballett Frankfurt will make its Center debut, bringing three unique works by Artistic Director William Forsythe, (N.N.N.N.), Enemy in the Figure and Quintett. This Center engagement will also be one of the final ones for Ballett Frankfurt.

Program IMonday-Thursday - July 5-8 at 8 p.m.CinderellaBallet in three actsMusic: Sergey ProkofievChoreography: Frederick AshtonProduction: Wendy Ellis SomesStaging: Christopher CarrSets: Toer van SchaykCostumes: Christine HaworthLighting: Mark JohnathanProgram IIFriday - July 9 at 8 p.m.Saturday - July 10 at 2 and 8 p.m.GiselleBallet in three actsMusic: Adolphe AdamRevised: Joseph HorovitzChoreography: Marius Petipa,after Jean Coralli and Jules PerrotProduction: Peter WrightDesigns: John F. MacfarlaneLighting: Jennifer Tipton Tickets may be purchased at The Center Box Office, online at The Center's Web site at www.ocpac.org, by phone through Ticketmaster at (714) 740-7878 or (213) 365-3500 and at all Ticketmaster outlets. The Center's TTY number is (714) 556-2746. Artists and programs are subject to change. For more information about these or any other Center events, please call (714) 556-ARTS or visit The Center's Web site at www.ocpac.org.